"Geneviève Letarte. Born Outremont, Québec. Residence: Montréal, Québec. Composer, Performer (voice, keyboard), Author.

Based in Montréal, Geneviève Letarte is an artist with a unique approach that leads her from literature to singing and back.

Letarte is the author of four novels, including Souvent la nuit tu te réveilles (l'Hexagone, 2002) and Les Vertiges Molino (Leméac, 1996), and a collection of poetry, Tout bas très fort (Écrits des Forges, 2004). She has also recorded two albums of songs, Chansons d'un jour (Ambiances Magnétiques, 2000) and Vous seriez un ange (Ambiances Magnétiques, 1990), and created several shows relying on text, song and music, such as Le Mystère du bois Blanc (Théâtre La Chapelle, Montréal, 2000) and Y a des jours comme ça (Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, 1996).

As a member of the poetry and music collective Le Band de poètes, she has made several tours and recorded one album, Le Band de Poètes (Monsieur Fauteux m'entendez-vous, 2005).

Since 1999, she has been on the editorial committee of the essay and creation magazine L'Inconvénient (Montréal), in which she regularly publishes texts and English-French translations. Recently, she co-authored the presentation and translation of a collection of previously unreleased essays by Virginia Wolf, Une prose passionnée et autres essais (Boréal, 2005).

Letarte has been featured in various international events, including the Festival de poésie Wallonie-Bruxelles (Namur, Belgium, 2006), Festival international de poésie de Trois-Rivières (2005, 1997, 1995), Festival Métropolis Bleu (Montréal, 2005, 2001, 2000), Festival Voix d'Amériques (Montréal, 2005, 2003), Voilà Québec en Mexico! (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2003), Festival Parole ambulante (Lyon, France, 2003), Festival International de la littérature (Montréal, 2003, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997), Women In View (Vancouver, 2001), Les Cartier de la poésie (Lyon, France, 1999), Festival acadien de poésie (Caraquet, New Brunswick, 1999), Festival interculturel La Romeria De Mayo (Holguin, Cuba, 1999), Festival International de musique actuelle (Victoriaville, 1990), and Les Rencontres internationales de poésie contemporaine (Cogolin, France, 1986).

Letarte has been artist in residence at the Leighton Colony (Banff, Alberta, 2006), Yaddo (Saratoga Springs, New York, 1999), Studio du Québec à Paris (Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, 1996) and Banff Centre (Alberta, 1992). She was also on numerous artist grant panels in Québec and Canada."

"First and foremost a double-bass player, composer, jazz and musiqueactuelle performer, he is very active in the provincial and national musicscenes and is highly regarded in the field. The tone, rhythm, and style of Guilbeault explain why he has played with Montréal's most creativemusicians (Jean Derome, Robert Marcel Lepage, Pierre St-Jak, René Lussier,and others) and why he has recently teamed up with excellent singers (suchas Lou Babin and Geneviève Letarte). Out of his ambitious projects havecome accomplished and very inspired and spirited works (Hommage à Mingusand RIEL Plaidoyer Musical). Along with other musicians (Pierre St-Jak, François Marcaurelle, and Jean Vanasse) is also the prime mover, programplanner, and organizer behind the Montréal OFF Festival de Jazz, at whichhe presented the first part of his PARKEROUAC, a project wedding poetry andjazz.

Normand Guilbeault, who first became known through his work with Jean Beaudet, Yannick Rieu, Nelson Symonds, Bernard Primeau, and other jazz musicians, has gained public acclaim with the Normand Guilbeault Ensemble (winner of the Prix de Jazz duMaurier at the 1994 Festival international de Jazz de Montréal), whose 1994 album Dualismus [Red Toucan] was followed by Basso Continuo in 1995 and, with guest artist Jean Derome, Hommage à Mingus in 1996 [both on Justin Time]. The Jazz Report Magazine (Canada) voted the ensemble "Acoustic Group of the year" for 1997.

Since 1995 some of the people he has worked with have included Jean Derome (on music for film, theatre and dance, and as part of a jazz trio and a jazz quartet), René Lussier (Les Boudines, Pour un Punch Hawaiien, music for film), Robert Marcel Lepage (music for film, theatre and dance), Michel F Côté (Bruire / Les Chants Rupestres, and music for dance), and trombonist Tom Walsh with the group NOMA.

In May 1998, the 15th Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville opened with his most recent project, Riel, which brought together thirteen of Montréal's most creative musicians and two talented narrators. He also presented the work at the Open Waters Festival of New and Improvised Music in Halifax, and at the Lion d'Or in Montréal on 20 and 21 February 1999. Recordings of these concerts were used to produce the double album entitled Riel Plaidoyer musical / Musical Plea, which appeared on the Ambiances Magnétiques label [AM 073] on 15 November 1999. Recently, performance of Normand Guilbeault's Riel project, in Confederation Park, was one of a the highlights of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (July 17, 2000)."

"Quebec City, Québec, 1956: Composer, Performer (drum set, percussion, voice)

A percussionist, composer and inveterate inventor, Pierre Tanguay is one of the most sought-after Montréal musicians on the Quebec scene. Since the beginning of the 80s, he has participated in an impressive number of ensembles, including Jean Derome and the dangereux zhoms, Évidence, Castor et compagnie, the Jean-François Groulx Trio, the ODD (a danse orchestra), Villemure Ô Carré, the Pierre Cartier Ensemble and Projet Riel. Among his collaborators are Jean Derome, Normand Guilbeault, Pierre Langevin, René Lussier, Karen Young, Fred Frith, Michel Donato, Daniel Mille, André Duchesne and Antoine Berthiaume. He is very active in the fileds of medieval and traditional music, jazz and musique actuelle. He is the co-founder of Strada, Midi Tapant, Derome/Tanguay.

He has composed works for dance (Lucie Grégoire, Andrew Harwood, Irène Stamou and Francine Gagné), as well as works for the theatre and film (Allan Booth, Imago and Roberto Ariganello). He regularly tours throughout Canada and Europe."